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Category: Fashion

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Fashion news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Korean fashion brand to invade China market

    South Korean fashion retailer Shinwon Corp has launched a joint menswear brand with China’s Golden Eagle Retail Group in a move to advance into China.

    It is the first such move by a Korean fashion company.

    Shinwon says the new brand, Mark M, is available in department stores owned by Golden Eagle Retail Group including its Nanjing Xianlin, Nanjing Xinjiekou and Shanghai stores. The group has 30 department stores in major cities.

    Mark M is a casual brand targeting young men born between 1980 and 1989, known as “baling hou” or the “post 1980s” generation in China. Shinwon is responsible for the brand’s design and marketing, with Golden Eagle Retail Group handling distribution. The two companies are expected to seek an IPO in Hong Kong for the joint venture.

    Meanwhile, the two companies plan to expand their partnership to include other industries such as F&B to become a comprehensive lifestyle service provider in the long term.

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  • Lotte Duty Free to partner with Klook

    Lotte Duty Free to partner with Klook

    Travel booking platform Klook has signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea’s Lotte Duty Free Shop to attract more travelers to South Korea by offering shopping deals.

    Shopping ranks as the top activity for 67.2 per cent of tourists in Korea, according to the Korea Tourism Organisation. This is followed by such activities as dining, cultural and historical tours, and sightseeing.

    Under the partnership, Klook will introduce Lotte DFS shopping discounts for its users. The discounts can be taken up in any Lotte DFS store in Korea. Also, Lotte DFS customers will be offered discounts of up to 70 per cent on Klook travel experiences in more than 120 destinations.

    The dual marketing campaigns are being rolled out this month.

    With its headquarters in Hong Kong, Klook became established in Korea early this year. Its services include e-tickets to Lotte World, entry to the Nanta Show culinary performance, Korea Rail Pass, restaurant deals and exclusive snow activities in Pyeongchang, where the Winter Olympics 2018 will be held.

    Klook’s network of more than 3000 direct partners includes such attractions as Bangkok’s Blue Elephant Cooking School, Disneyland, Hong Kong’s Ngong Ping 360 and Universal Studios.

    Founded in 2014, Klook has a team of more than 400 across 13 offices. Its services are available in seven languages, and it supports more than 30 currencies.

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  • Calvin Klein watch showcase will be in Suria KLCC

    Calvin Klein watch showcase will be in Suria KLCC

    Calvin Klein Watches + Jewelry has opened its largest kiosk for Malaysia in Suria KLCC, featuring timepieces and accessories.

    Attended the launch were Swatch Group Malaysia and Singapore president Jose de Cardoso, Calvin Klein Watches + Jewelry regional sales manager Pascal Scherer, brand manager Kenny Lim sales and marketing manager Florence Loke. Special guests included actress Siti Saleha and TV presenter Reem Shahwa.

    Since his debut, new Calvin Klein chief creative officer Raf Simon has been providing a singular global creative vision for the brand, as reported. The Belgian fashion designer has been taking the founder’s legacy of modern, simple and sharp aesthetic coupled with provocative imagery to greater heights. This encompasses Calvin Klein Watches + Jewelry, developed in the 1990s in partnership with Swatch Group.

  • Echo Base Collection Star Wars Jackets by Columbia

    Echo Base Collection Star Wars Jackets by Columbia

    Columbia Sportswear has unveiled three limited-edition jackets inspired by iconic characters in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

    Inspired by the costumes worn by Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, the collection is named after the Rebels’ secret base on ice planet Hoth. In developing the Echo Base Collection, Columbia’s designers worked with Lucasfilm and it archives team to incorporate details of the original jackets worn in the classic movie, released in 1980.

    With Columbia’s “tested tough” promise, the jackets include the brand’s technologies to ensure they can withstand the freezing conditions on planet Hoth, or other galaxies closer to home.

    The limited-edition jackets, with vest combined, are made from water-resistant cotton-blend fabric and insulated with Omni-Heat Reflective lining. The Leia Organa Echo Base Jacket includes a stowable hood, seam piping and gusset sleeves, the Luke Skywalker Echo Base Jacket has a stowable hood and the Han Solo Echo Base Parka features multiple closures, a leather Rebel patch, and quilted faux-fur trimmed hood.

    Columbia has also produced a limited run of the dark-brown Han Solo Archive Edition parkas, and has also collaborated with actor Harrison Ford to raise funds for Conservation International, a global organisation dedicated to the protection of nature. Ford has hand-signed each parka, and Columbia will donate total proceeds from their sale to Conservation International.

    Only 1980 jackets of each style in the broad Echo Base Collection were produced. The jackets are individually numbered and contain references to Star Wars and the characters who wore them.

    The jackets are being sold on Columbia’s website and at branded retail locations including China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, from Friday.

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  • Abercrombie & Fitch opens new mega Hong Kong store

    Abercrombie & Fitch opens new mega Hong Kong store

    Abercrombie & Fitch has opened its first overseas store designed with the retailer’s new boutique outfit, launching a mega store in Hong Kong.

    Located in the Harbour City mall, the 6,800 square-foot-flagship design reflects the evolution of the brand as it aims to flick its sexy image and attract a more mature audience. It is the largest Hong Kong store to date and forms part of Wharf Holdings in Harbour City.

    “Harbour City is a world-renowned mall and it will be a premier location for our updated Abercrombie & Fitch experience. While we continue to invest in our omnichannel capabilities, enabling our customers to engage with us whenever, wherever and however they choose, our stores remain an important gateway to our brands,” said Fran Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.  “In this new space, we expect to deliver greater productivity on a significantly smaller footprint than our previous Hong Kong store. We are looking forward to bringing our new store experience to existing and new customers in Hong Kong.”

    Inside the store, the new layout looks to make customers stay in the store for longer, as well as promoting “product trial.” Other unique features included gender-neutral fitting rooms quipped with controls for lighting and music, as well as a phone charging dock.

    There are three separate spaces and three “suite-style” rooms for shoppers to share looks with friends or family while browsing.

    “We designed this new space based on our customers’ feedback, and our understanding of how they like to shop,” said Stacia Andersen, brand president for Abercrombie & Fitch.

    “The result is an open, comfortable, technology-enabled and service-first experience that reflects the shopping experience of today.”

    Abercrombie first announced in June that it would open the Hong Kong flagship before Christmas. It is one of seven new concept stores that will be completed by the end of 2017, all of which will be in the US. The first new prototype store opened in February of this year in Columbus, Ohio.

    The largest mall in Hong Kong, including shopping, dining, entertainment and sightseeing, Harbour City attracts more than 80 million visitors a year, and its tenants include many of the world’s leading brands.

  • Little Starters seeking US$20,000 kickstart

    Little Starters seeking US$20,000 kickstart

    Hong Kong children’s fashion startup Little Starters is using crowdfunding campaign Kickstarter to finance international expansion and growth of its basics collection.

    Founded by best friends Leisia Tsang and Ellen Ogren, the brand offers seasonal and monthly deliveries through a bespoke subscription concept. Clothes are hand-picked and delivered to customers’ doors on an ongoing basis. There is also a core collection year-round for customers wanting to buy individual basics in key colorways and prints.

    “After more than a decade working with fashion brands all over the map, we began to feel the
    repercussions a busy lifestyle has on one’s time for friends and family,” says Tsang. “This is when we saw an opportunity in children’s fashion.”

    Ogren says Little Starters designs and produces “casual-cool” clothing in sizes for newborns up to four years old. “We use only super-soft fabrics that are kind on skin, responsibly sourced and free of dangerous chemicals.”

    Shoppers complete a style quiz at the website to determine their tastes for their children’s clothes.

    Based on this, the Little Starters team personalises seven mix-and-match pieces for delivery, and shoppers have three options for delivery frequencies.

    For each subsequent delivery, the clothing sizes increase to keep up with the growing children. After each delivery, shoppers have seven days to decide what to keep. Returns are simple and free. If the entire box is kept, thre is a 20 per cent discount.

    Little Starters has set out to raise US$20,000 on Kickstarter by January 11.

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  • Ports 1961 expands in Korea

    Ports 1961 expands in Korea

    The collaboration of Ports 1961 and Handsome began at multi-brand store “Space MUE,” a celebrity go-to spot catering to the shopping needs of South Korea’s influential entertainment elite.

    Ports 1961 quickly became a top three selling brand, prompting Handsome into another pilot project – the first Ports 1961 womenswear pop-up store in Hyundai Main Department store in February 2017, which had a successful and impactful run for 2 months.

    In the latest effort to bring the sought after label to Korea, Handsome officials have stated that they “plan to introduce a variety of comfortable and stylish products, such as shirts, sneakers, coats and other core products of the company, in order to provide for the needs of Korean consumers with affluent taste.”

    “Korea has long been a priority for Ports 1961, and we have had early successes in the market,” said Marc Boelen, VP, Head of Strategic Planning & Growth of the Ports Group.

    “To build on our success, we need to work with a strong local partner to expand our store presence in the Korean market. By partnering with Hyundai – one of the leading industry leaders with more than 20 brands under their management – we will be able to give the Korean consumers even more convenient and specialized access to our premium designs,” Marc added.

    In October and November 2017, Ports 1961 opened in the Hyundai Main and Hyundai Coex Malls of Gangnam-gu, two of the most desirable locations for new entrants into the Korean fashion scene. With high visibility at these prime retail locations, the teams at both Ports 1961 and Handsome look forward to further expansion of the brand in this market in the near future.

    Ports was founded in Toronto in 1961 by Luke Tanabe who was one of the first to adopt the revolutionary jet set lifestyle.

    Ports first appealed to people who understood it was possible to travel, dream, and work all at once: breakfast in the Sahara, and then dinner in New York. With this inner essence of “Global Soul, Urban Spirit,” Ports 1961 soon became synonymous with cutting-edge fashion, design excellence, and a free nomadic spirit.

    Given the appealing brand DNA of Ports 1961, Korean top-tier celebrities, such as Gianna Jun, Choi Soo-yeong of Girl’s Generation, G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung of Big Bang, Gong Yoo, Lee Min Ho, and also fashion bloggers Irene Kim and Kim Na Young, to name a few, have celebrated the bran launch in the Korean market .

    Ports 1961 and Handsome Corp., the fashion retail business unit of Hyundai Group, have entered into an exclusive distribution agreement for the expansion into the Korean market.

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  • Carl F. Bucherer Launches Influencer Campaign in the US

    Carl F. Bucherer Launches Influencer Campaign in the US

    Carl F. Bucherer has launched an extensive new influencer campaign inspired by the urban spirit of its Manero Flyback watches. In keeping with the claim “Wherever time takes you, Lucerne travels with you,” the campaign features five highly popular US influencers that live its spirit in different ways. Among them is successful menswear and lifestyle blogger Blake Scott, who now has become the watch manufacturer’s first digital brand ambassador.

    Carl F. Bucherer has been continuously expanding its digital presence over the course of the past few years. “Launching a global influencer campaign is the next step in our efforts to increase brand awareness and engage more directly with style aficionados,” says Danijela Andjelic, Head of Digital at Carl F. Bucherer. As part of the campaign, the brand is strengthening its relationship with five successful US men’s lifestyle bloggers – Blake Scott, Adam Gallagher, Luke Ditella, Brian Sacawa, and Igee Okafor – who were selected by the Swiss watch manufacturer as they all embody the fashion sense of a modern urban gentleman in their own way. These men are a perfect match for the Manero Flyback by Carl F. Bucherer, a key model for the brand. With its sleek style and multifaceted dial, the Manero Flyback is a watch that truly stands out from the crowd and is a wonderfully sophisticated accessory for global citi-zens with an eclectic sense of style.

     

    Carl F. Bucherer is delighted to welcome Blake Scott as the brand’s first digital brand ambassador as part of the “ Wherever time takes you, Lucerne travels with you ” campaign. The successful LA-based lifestyle ex-pert created the very popular blog The Scott Effect ( thescotteffect.com ) and currently has more than 481,000 followers on Instagram.

  • Kanebo Cosmetics President plan to depart

    Kanebo Cosmetics President plan to depart

    Kanebo Cosmetics announced that Masumi Natsusaka, the company’s President, is scheduled to leave his post at the end of the year.

    Natsusaka has served in the role of the president of Kanebo since 2012, and is credited for orchestrating the brand’s recall of 50 products due to white splotches reported on the skin of customers, caused by Rhododenol. Following this, Natsusaka also made improvements to the company’s customer response bureau.

    In addition, Kanebo said Natsusaka’s successor, Yoshihiro Murakam, is planned to start in the head role, effective January 1, 2018.

    Natsusaka joined Kao Corp. in 1986, the owner of Kanebo since 2006, and previously served as president of its global skincare business. He is a graduate of Tokyto’s Rikkyo University.

    Kanebo has been strengthening its global reach and product portfolio in recent seasons. In 2016, the Japanese brand launched a namesake luxury skincare line and high-end cosmetic collection in its domestic market.

    More recently, Kanebo brought the same line to the European market in September 2017. In addition to the new brand, it also revealed its prestige line Sensai in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.

    Looking ahead, Kanebo Cosmetics aims to bring its new line of skincare products to China in 2020. Kanebo hopes its namesake brand will become a pillar of global operations and is aiming for 30 billion yen ($264 million) in annual sales by 2020.

    In China, the brand already offers midrange products under its Kate, freeplus and other brands, priced at around 1,000 yen to 3,500 yen per item. Kanebo-branded products will be priced higher than those brands, and sales are said to begin in major cities such as Shanghai before being expanded across the country.

    For the year ending December 31, Kao Corp.’s net profit grew 20.3 percent to 126.55 billion yen ($1.17 billion). Net sales for the same period declined 1.1 percent to 1.46 trillion yen. Hindered by currency exchanges, yearly sales would have increased by 3.2 percent.

  • Gucci confirms tax evasion probe

    Gucci confirms tax evasion probe

    Italian fashion giant Gucci on Monday said police raided its offices over suspected tax evasion, confirming a report in the Italian press.

    The Milan public prosecutor suspects the fashion house of declaring several years worth of Italian sales in Switzerland, thereby saving around 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in domestic tax, La Stampa daily said.

    The investigation is reportedly based on information from a former senior Gucci employee who has since left the company, which is part of French luxury group Kering.

    La Stampa said financial police had spent at least three days searching Gucci’s new, ultra-modern Milan headquarters and also other offices.

    “With respect to an article concerning an audit by the local tax police conducted at Gucci’ls offices in Florence and Milan published in an Italian newspaper today, Gucci confirms that it is providing its full cooperation to the respective authorities and is confident about the correctness and transparency of its operations,” Gucci said in a statement.

    Four years ago, fellow Italian fashion behemoth Prada had to pay 470 million euros to the Italian taxman after it declared a decade’s worth of home revenue abroad.

    The Italian tax dragnet has since extended to tech giants — 318 millions euros of Italian revenue for Apple and 306 million for Google while investigations are also under way regarding Amazon and Facebook.

    Gucci has turned in a strong recent performance with third quarter organic growth of 49.4 percent on 1.5 billion euros of sales.

  • New face for Chanel Japan Flagship store

    New face for Chanel Japan Flagship store

    Following a three-year renovation, Chanel Japan has re-opened its flagship store on Namiki Dori in Ginza.

    Initially opening in 1994, the store was the brand’s first Japanese standalone boutique. As well as new interiors, architect Peter Marino has given the nine-storey building a fresh facade with matte black and white panels alluding to Chanel’s iconic colour palette. For the first two months, the building will feature an artwork by Shuji Mukai.

    Inside, the store features curated works from international contemporary artists, including an ink painting by Heinz Mack, a bronze relief by Anthony Pearson and a painting by Gregor Hildebrandt.

    On the ground floor, bags and accessories are displayed on sleek shelving and custom-made cabinets. On the second floor, the palette is softer with beige carpeting and matching furnishings to background shoes and more accessories.

    More bags feature on the third floor alongside the ready-to-wear collection, repeated on the next floor in a setting defined by gold and black accents.

    On the eighth floor is Le Salon Beaute, which offers a fusion of western and oriental face and body treatments, while the top floor is home to Le Salon Prive, an exclusive event space.

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  • UNIQLO to Launch UNIQLO and JW ANDERSON Spring/Summer 2018 Collection

    UNIQLO to Launch UNIQLO and JW ANDERSON Spring/Summer 2018 Collection

    Uniqlo announces plans to launch a Spring/Summer 2018 UNIQLO and JW ANDERSON collection, following the positive response worldwide for its Fall/Winter2017 line. The new collection, created once again in collaboration with London-based fashion brand JW ANDERSON, will include items for men and women, and will be available in the upcoming Spring/Summer 2018 season at selected UNIQLO stores and online at www.uniqlo.com/sg.

    Commenting on the announcement, Jonathan Anderson said, “The first UNIQLO and JW ANDERSON collaboration was super exciting for me, and I am very happy with the results. I am proud of it and I think the pieces are incredibly well made. The line was also a good bridge between the ideal of British classicism and my own brand.”He added,“The Spring/Summer 2018 collection is about items that interlink with each other. It’s about layering this time. The idea is to mix and match things together, and I truly hope you will enjoy it.”

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  • WatchBox starts digging into luxury market

    WatchBox starts digging into luxury market

    WatchBox has launched as the first global e-commerce platform specialising in buying, selling and trading pre-owned luxury watches.

    It is the result of a partnership between Govberg Jewelers CEO Danny Govberg, former Sincere Watch owner Liam Wee Tay and investor-entrepreneur Justin Reis. Singapore private equity firm CMIA Capital Partners has led an initial investment round in WatchBox, earmarking more than $100 million of capital to be deployed over the next 18 months for building out the startup’s multi-platform strategy.

    “We are backing a proven leadership team of industry veterans who offer a fresh perspective on the global luxury-watch industry,” says CMIA managing partner Lee Chong Min. “WatchBox’s annualised revenue run-rate is set in the near term to exceed US$200 million. We believe WatchBox will transform the multi-billion-dollar luxury-watch industry.”

    He says CMIA is ready to back further funding rounds to capitalise on “certain business opportunities”.

    Evolving from the business practices of 101-year-old watch retailer Govberg Jewelers, WatchBox has already established a profitable business model for pre-owned watches in the US, with the founders realising the need for a physical location also in Hong Kong, where it has opened an office in the CBD. WatchBox now has dual headquarters, showrooms and “trading floors” (e-commerce centres) in the world’s two largest watch markets.

    Asia’s leadership team includes Tay as chairman and Reis as co-CEO. Tay transformed Sincere Watch from a traditional family-owned company into a pan-Asian luxury-watch institution, taking it public in both Singapore and Hong Kong before selling in 2012.

    “WatchBox capitalises on the estimated $400 billion global pre-owned watch market by embracing advanced technology to offer consumers a scalable platform to buy, sell and trade pre-owned timepieces through a trusted partner,” says Tay.

    As it moves to increase visibility through its e-commerce and digital services – specifically its website, mobile application and social-media presence – Watchbox regards offline integration in key markets as essential.

    “The watch industry is going through a period of consolidation, and the timing is right to build a robust and trusted global trading platform in the pre-owned category,” says Reis, who has had more than 20 years of experience in private-equity investing in Asia.

    Steering WatchBox from the company’s tech hub in the US is co-CEO Govberg, who says Watchbox offers a balance of technology, data systems and 24/7 connectedness, along with personalised service and guaranteed authenticity.

    WatchBox has 130 global associates, showrooms and private offices in Hong Kong and North America, and plans to further expand into other regions across Asia and Europe within the next year.

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  • Nike to launch world’s first sports hijab

    Nike to launch world’s first sports hijab

    Nike has launched the world’s first sports hijab, which is being rolled out internationally after months of anticipation.

    Tested by US champion fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, the pioneering garment is breathable and lightweight, designed to fit “like a second skin” and not interfere with movement.

    Muhammad, who this year had the first-ever hijab-wearing Barbie modelled on her appearance, says she has had many false starts while competing because of her heavy hijab impeding her hearing.

    “It really sank in how much my previous hijab had been hindering my performance when I tried the Nike Pro Hijab,” she says. “Suddenly I could hear. I wasn’t as hot, and it felt like my body was able to cool itself down better and faster.”

    Nike says the Pro Hijab will help to make sports more inclusive for Muslim women. Statistics from Sport England show that just 18 per cent of Muslim women take part in regular sport, compared to 30 per cent of the total female population.

     

    Other hijabi athletes, including runner Manal Rostom, have also praised the garment’s innovation.
    “It inspires me to reach greater heights and to run farther distances,” says Rostom, who completed the latest New York Marathon in the Nike Pro Hijab. “I believe it’s going to inspire girls worldwide to follow their passion for sport.”

  • Oakley China will start with Nanjing store

    Oakley China will start with Nanjing store

    Oakley China has its first dedicated store, in Xinjiekou’s Deji Plaza, Nanjing.

    The Nanjing store follows the opening in Shanghai of a one-of-a-kind store for the group, being half Oakley and half Ray-Ban. “This Nanjing store is the first Oakley-only store in China, and it not only glasses focused.”

    It also offers the brand’s speciality activewear for such outdoor sports as skiing, cycling and running, and is situated beside other sporting giants Evisu, Nike and Puma, and is across from Adidas.

    Owned by Luxottica, Oakley works not only with Ray-Ban in China but with LensCrafters, another US retailer of prescription eyewear.

    Attending the official opening were Oakley president of retail for greater China Alessandro Donadelli, and LensCrafters, Ray-Ban and Oakley GM for greater China Carl James.

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